By: Nate Calvin
STRYKER – Hilltop didn’t let history repeat itself on Thursday night at Stryker High School.
After surrendering a 13-point lead at halftime in their non-conference meeting with the Panthers in December (a 40-37 loss), Hilltop led by six at halftime and by as many as 19 points in the second half for a 48-34 win.
With the win, the Cadets secure at least a share of the BBC championship, their first league title since 2001.
It was a slow start offensively for both teams with the game’s first points not coming until around the 5:00 mark as Mia Hancock knocked down a triple from the corner for Hilltop.
After turnovers on their first three possessions, Sage Woolace would get Stryker on the board with a long ball to cut the Cadet lead to 4-3.
Emma Fulk gave Stryker a brief lead at 5-4 after a jumper in the lane, but Hilltop ended the quarter on a 6-0 run for a 10-5 lead.
After ending the first with an offensive rebound bucket, Hilltop sophomore Libbie Baker started the second with another hoop to make it 12-5.
With the score now 13-5, the Panthers ripped off seven straight points behind a field goal from Lexi Wickerham, Woolace with a layup, and Fulk buried a triple from the wing to cut the deficit to 13-12.
The Cadets took momentum to the locker room though by getting the final five points of the half thanks to a Hancock triple and a Jayma Bailey fast break layup after a blocked shot from Baker for a 20-14 lead.
Baker continued to assert her dominance inside to start the third quarter with a pair of rebound buckets sandwiched around another trifecta from Hancock to push the lead to 27-17.
Baker finished with 10 points in the quarter as she added two free throws and two more scores down low for a 35-22 Cadets lead heading to the final quarter.
It was a 10-4 Hilltop spurt to start the fourth as Hancock and Bailey had back-to-back layups before three consecutive field goals by Baker gave Hilltop their largest lead of the night a 45-26.
Baker had 18 of her game-high 25 points in the second half as Hilltop shot 11/20 (55%) in the half while the Panthers were 7/29 (24%).
Hancock joined Baker in double digits with 11 points, aided by three makes from deep.
Stryker (15-4, 4-2 BBC) put three players in the scoring column led by Wickerham with 14, Woolace had 11, and Fulk tallied nine.
Hilltop (14-5, 6-0) can win the league outright this Thursday with a win over second-place Holgate (10-10, 5-1) at home.
HILLTOP (48) – Brown 4; Dickinson 0; Routt; Baker 25; Bailey 7; Hancock 11; VanArsdalen 1; Totals: 16-3-7 – 48
STRYKER (34) – Woolace 11; Leupp 0; Ruffer 0; Fulk 9; Ramon 0; Wickerham 14; Myers 0; Rethmel 0; Oberlin 0; Totals: 9-4-4 – 34
GAME STATISTICS – HILLTOP: FG – 19/43 (44%); FT – 7/22 (31%); Rebounds – 32 (13 offensive); Turnovers – 17; STRYKER: FG – 13/50 (26%); FT – 4/8 (50%) Rebounds – 33 (17 offensive); Turnovers – 19
HILLTOP 10 10 15 13 – 48
STRYKER 5 9 8 12 – 34
JUNIOR VARSITY: Stryker, 15-0 (2 quarters)
Nate can be reached at sports@thevillagereporter.com